Hiber-Nation '12: Diversions

Winter shut-in life got you down? All out of back episodes of 'Downton Abbey' (or 'Melrose Place') on Netflix Watch Instant? Try hunkering down with a diversion of the old-fashioned, non-electronic variety.

A very happy Monday and welcome to part deux of "Hiber-Nation," a special series of posts featuring home accessories and other odds and ends geared to make housebound-in-the-winter life more bearable.

​Now that you've finally settled down with an oversized cuppa tea, it's time to stop twiddling those thumbs and think about a good distraction to keep you merrily occupied on days when the weather is too frightful to venture outside (but you'd rather not stay inside and do housework, iron, or pay bills). Below, you'll find 15 DIY diversions and distractions — puzzles! crafts! games! beer! — to help pass the time, whether solo or with company, on a cold winter's day. Sure, all of these items may not all be eco-friendly/handmade but are all engaging in a way that doesn't involve turning on an electronic device of some sort — tablet, smart phone, computer, TV, etc. — andstaring into a screen for hours on end.